The internet has changed the publishing game, and, if you are a writer, you can take advantage of that. Whether you have written your first book or your fifth, you can use the tools available on the Internet to make your work accessible to anyone. There are several ways to ensure that your works can be accessed by the masses, and it will make self-publishing easy for you.

Define Your Needs and Wants

What type of book do you want to self-publish? There are three ways to self-publish a literary work: print on demand, electronic publishing, and vanity publishing. Therefore, the first step to self-publishing is defining which publishing option fits your needs. Do you need physical copies of your work, or will electronic or print on demand copies will meet your needs and wants as you go through the self-publishing process?

Set Your Budget

“Set your marketing budget upfront”

As with any business venture, you must set a budget for self-publishing. Self-publishing a book is an investment, and you need to decide how much you are willing (or able) to invest into this endeavor. What can you afford? Though you hope for success and to profit from your work, it may not be a quick return on your investment. Therefore, you must not spend more than you’re able to afford, and you must be willing to not see a return on your work for a long time.

Get Help Editing

“Hire an editor or get help from your friends”

When you plan on self-publishing, you must ensure that your work is as professional as possible. Ensuring there are no grammatical, continuity, or writing errors is imperative to this. Errors are distracting to the reader and will take away from the professionalism of your work. The most economical way to do this is to have a trusted friend or mentor to edit your work before you publish it. If this is not an option for you, look into hiring a freelance editor or even asking a group of peers you do not know to edit it. Remember, those that are close to you may be biased toward your work and won’t give you a thorough edit for fear of hurting your feelings.

Get Reviews

Often, before you pick up a new book, you read reviews to make sure you will enjoy it. Your book will be no different, so you should have friends, family, and anyone else you know read your book and post reviews so that potential readers will have others’ thoughts and use them to decide if they would like to purchase your book. Again, if you cannot do that, or if you think they will be biased, you can hire a freelance writer to do small reviews of your work. Sometimes, this can be a better alternative because writers that get paid for a living will know how to critique your work.

Promote your work

“Make use of Facebook and twitter for your eBook promotions”

Because you are self-publishing, you will be responsible for getting the word out. Advertise your book by taking advantage of social media, buying print ads, and spreading it through word of mouth. Let friends and family know your book is available for purchase and consider giving discounts for individuals that share your advertisement on social media. You are responsible for the success of your work, so take matters into your own hands.
Self-publishing does not have to be a hard process if you take it step-by-step. Define your needs and goals, choose the right publishing platform for your book, promote yourself, and get proper edits and reviews. These are all things you’ll need to be successful in self-publishing.